Opinion: Online gamers could help vaccinate billions

The private sector, as well as the US military, is trying to figure out how to store and ship vaccines at temperatures as low as -80°C (-112°F). But there’s another possibility – and it relies on thousands of people playing an online game. — Reuters

Quickly vaccinating billions of people around the globe against Covid-19 is going to be an endeavour like no other in human history. What could make it even more difficult is that some of the leading contenders – mRNA(1) vaccines – have a very short shelf life: They have to be stored and shipped at temperatures as low as -80°C (-112°F).

The private sector, as well as the US military, is trying to figure out how to manage that feat. But there’s another possibility – and it relies on thousands of people playing an online game.